Artfully Yours - Making Dreams Come True

When you love to engage in arts and crafts, nothing will stand in your way. If you want to learn more about making your hobby even better, the time is now to start trying new things. The tips below will help you find success with your fun crafts done at home.

If you are looking at getting started with crocheting or knitting, take the time to look online. You can find free videos on YouTube that will guide you through the various stitches you will need to know. You can also find free patterns on various blogs or forums that are out there.

Incorporate recycling into your arts and crafts activities. No matter what you are into, from ceramics to oil paints, there are many ways to involve using objects and supplies that you would have otherwise thrown away. Save paper, tinfoil, aluminum, cardboard and more and stash it away for your next project.

When you can’t afford the supplies locally, try a thrift shop. Goodwill and similar shops have great things for creative artists. Visit frequently because they are constantly getting new stuff, and it goes very quickly.

Beadaholique is great for all shoppers wanting custom jewelry. Various beads, chains and other supplies are readily available. Many of today’s fashions include costume jewelry. You can coordinate your wardrobe and save money by crafting your own.

Make friends with the people who own or work at the local hobby store. This can help you get valuable insight on sales, loyalty discounts and special offers. You may even be able to display your crafts or meet others who are interested in the same crafts that you are.

To get your kids ready for some fun watercolor time at the kitchen table, put down a layer of newspaper or a plastic tablecloth first. This protects your kitchen table and lets your kids’ creativity go wild, and you’re not stressing out about paint staining the table for years to come.

Keep your glass jars from things like tomato sauces to the side. These small jars make for excellent containers for small arts and crafts items like buttons, marbles, and pebbles. You can see through the glass to know what’s exactly inside. And don’t throw away the lids either. They make for extra protection that your craft items stay all together.

Don’t force certain materials on a kid when doing a craft project. Not every kid enjoys using materials that you or other kids like using. Some kids may like just using glitter. Some like using sparkles. Your kid may not like glitter or sparkles. If they do not, you should not push them into liking them or using them.

To make a mosaic mirror that is stable without being too heavy, consider plywood as a backing material. Hardy board is waterproof, but unless you’re hanging the mirror near the shower, you don’t need a background with that much heft. A mirror of any size will need a colossal hook with a hardy board backing.

Do not make the mistake of only looking in art supply stores for all of the materials you might need. Places like discount and factory closeout stores are great places to find materials at low prices. You may not be able to find everything you need, but you may find a lot of the basics there.

Now that you’ve read these tips, you should have no problem implementing them in your free time. Just make use of as many as you can so that you find the greatest success in the end. The harder you work at enjoying these ideas, the more fun you will have.